MikeyB: getting through withdrawal related depression and anxiety

[bheb]

Oh yeah it’s nuts over here. Everyone I know is basically on a psych med. Which, like, good for them for seeking out help and discussing mental health. But it’s a bit excessive. Even the shortest and most appropriate episodes of grief are pathologized. 

 

I think because there’s a long history of ignoring and stigmatizing mental health, people have shifted so far in the other direction towards overprescription. I’m in college and here it’s extremely common to hear self-deprecating jokes about needing Prozac or Xanax and being serotonin “deficient.” At this point it’s almost upsetting to me because the whole reason I thought these meds were safe was because of how common and lighthearted the discourse was.

[MikeyB]

Hey @bheb,

 

That's exactly how I got on these meds too.  No one in my family (that I know of) has a mental health issue.  My parents don't take drugs for anything (though like me lots of supplements haha) and my brother took a very small dose of an ADHD medication (he's adopted..just emphasizing that there's nothing genetic that we know of).  Because I knew so many people on drugs for different things through my network, when a doctor told me I should take a drug, I never thought to myself "oh I should be embarrassed" or "omg I'm one of those people."  

 

I didn't judge myself at all.  I thought "okay, something really bad happened to me.  I got hurt really badly by something and now I need medicine because that's what a doctor told me."

 

You're very young, which means, you have a very good chance of getting over this and having a very healthy and successful life.

 

I'm 33 years old right now. Took my first AD a few days before my 31st birthday.  Never suffered from anything related to mental illness.  Then 2 days after I start taking Zoloft, I get more depressed than I ever have before in my life.  I texted my doctor and she said things get worse before they get better very nonchalantly.  My best friend told me when he saw me that I should maybe try something else.  But I was convinced that the doctor was right because "she's a doctor."  

 

And only since trying to get off anti-depressants (multiple times) did I get chronically depressed, anxious, irritable, jittery, hyperactive, akithisia, sleep disturbances, obsessive thoughts, etc.  I am angry beyond belief that the treatment I got was considered "standard" and "appropriate," meaning there isn't really any way to sue for malpractice because what I and everyone else here has gone through is "normal."  And I'm mad at myself for having so blindly trusted physicians and not gotten second and third opinions.  I'd just never been sick before and my parents, who also have never been sick, really didn't know what to think either.

 

I pray every day that I and everyone else suffering from these drugs will get better.  It abhors me the drug culture today in the United States.  When I was in high school and college (graduated in 2008), people smoked pot, drank, did a little coke, and maybe took an adderrall every once in a while to pull an all nighter.  I'd legitimately never heard of drugs like ativan, xanax, fentinol, etc.  

 

People just didn't do those things and didn't know how to get access to it even if they did. What I'm hearing about drugs in America and how everyone takes stuff is really abhorrent and I hope that you are successful helping your friends make good lifestyle choices.

[MikeyB]

Hey @bheb,

 

I wanted to check in with you and see if you tried the Vitamin B6 and magnesium.  I had a lot of success with it and no longer feel that deep, intense inner restlessness.  I don't feel perfect of course (other withdrawal syndromes persist), but I'm really glad that I got that under control.  

 

I took the 600mg Vitamin B6 for a few weeks, moved down to 300mg for 2 weeks, and now I'm trying to go without it and see how I do.  I am, however, still taking magnesium and amino acids.

 

Let me know how you're doing.  You're not alone!

[bheb]

Thanks so much for checking in! 

 

First, in regard to the earlier post, yeah I think it's a common theme with people here -- that the side effects and/or withdrawal from psychiatric medication was way worse than the original condition. And many like you who didn't have any mental symptoms until they took psychiatric medication. Bogus. My parents weren't very aware of mental health issues at all, so I didn't get on medication for my OCD (which has been under control without meds recently) until I was 19. Now having acquired something much much worse, I'm almost glad they were less aware ... definitely could've benefited from some kind of therapy though. 

 

That's awesome that you're still feeling better. And that you've even been able to reduce the B6. I always worry that anything I try will only help transiently/as a cover up, if it helps at all.

 

I was actually just going to update my thread soon because yes I'm actually giving B6 a try. I have p-5-p ("active" B6) and took 200mg last night and 200mg again this morning. Can't say I feel that much yet, but am going to keep giving it a go, and maybe increase soon. I am nauseous though, like I was the last time I tried it. Do you take B6 with food?  

[MikeyB]

Hey @bheb,

 

It's great to hear back from you and thanks for sharing more of your story.  At least it's getting more into the forefront.  Here is an article in yesterday's NYtimes - https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/health/depression-withdrawal-drugs.html - It seems that a couple of psychiatrists who also took the medications are suffering from severe withdrawal and they're the ones researching this in greater depth.

 

I'm going to go off the B6 for a little while see how it goes.  I'm getting 70mg a day anyways from the Hardy's DEN solution I take.  If my akithisia/agitation comes back...well, at least I'll know what helps and what to do about it.

 

I take all my vitamins with food FYI.  I think it's a mistake to take B6 on an empty stomach.  The only things they say it's encouraged to take on an empty stomach are amino acids, which need to be processed without interference from food.

 

I don't personally think you should worry about nutrients being a "cover up" or a "transient" solution. Nutrition and medication are not the same thing.  My doctor who advised me about supplements states that after bodily or emotional trauma, the body may have a permanent need for greater level of a specific vitamin, mineral, or other compound.  So in the case of Vitamin B6, if your body reacts well to a greater dose, then that may just be what you need.

 

I hope it goes well for you!

[bheb]

1 hour ago, MikeyB said:

don't personally think you should worry about nutrients being a "cover up" or a "transient" solution. Nutrition and medication are not the same thing.  My doctor who advised me about supplements states that after bodily or emotional trauma, the body may have a permanent need for greater level of a specific vitamin, mineral, or other compound.  So in the case of Vitamin B6, if your body reacts well to a greater dose, then that may just be what you need.

 

What does he mean by permanent need? And yeah, you're probably right -- I guess I got into that mindset after getting put on propranolol, klonopin, etc. in the early days of akathisia (wow, over two years ago now). The propranolol, for example, definitely made the painful, inner itchy restlessness a bit more bearable but it still felt like it was there if that makes sense? So that was probably more of a "cover up."

 

Yes! I was so happy to see that NYT article earlier this morning. I hope this all comes to light, though it's a shame that many doctors pay more attention only once they've gone through it themselves...but I guess that's how most things go. 

 

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the B6. I'll look forward to hearing how you do too & hope you've finally gotten some lasting relief!

[MikeyB]

Hey @bheb,

 

I hope you're feeling some relief. I wanted to let you know that since getting started again on 600mg of Vitamin B6 daily, my akathisia has really been non-existent.  If that's not cause and effect then I don't know what is.

 

My doctor told me taking that amount of Vitamin B6 is totally fine.  He says if I experience any adverse effects like tingling that it should go away upon discontinuing.  However, for now, he recommends I stick with the B6 as it appears to be helping me.

[bheb]

Gotcha, so when you went off b6 the akathisia came back?

[MikeyB]

That is correct, so I'm gonna stick with it for now.

[MikeyB]

Hey @bheb,

 

I hope all is well! I'm still keeping up with the B6 and I haven't had any akathisia. Another thing I've been experimenting with is straight flush Niacin (Vitamin B3).  I've tried other forms of Niacin before like no flush niacinamide and nicotinamide riboside, but never felt a benefit.  However, I decided to give the actual flush kind (aka the original) a try and boy what a huge difference it's made.  That stuff totally chills you out with the right doses.  Abram Hoffer suggested people who are really sick (like us) should take 1 grams 3X day.  That's what I've been doing and I am noticing improvements in my mood, state of agitation, etc.  Just thought I'd share.

 

It's suggested to take it along with a lot more Vitamin C.

[bheb]

So good to hear that you're continuing to get relief! I had also heard good things about niacin. 

 

I did a few day trial of B6 a couple weeks ago and was met with nausea again (even when taken with food), and not a whole lot of noticeable relief. The past few days I've been taking a much lower dose along with magnesium, just cause. Not really expecting to notice anything, but figured if I don't have a bad reaction I can go ahead and work through these supplements I've already bought. 

 

I think I'll give B6, at the higher doses, another shot in the summer. Because right now I'm kind of in crunch time at school so lots of stress and caffeine here and there...certainly confound things.

 

I wasn't aware there were different types of flush or no flush niacin, but I guess that makes sense. I'll keep that in mind.

[bheb]

How’re you feeling recently Mikey?

[DogLover]

ive tried  b6 and i think it sends me into orbit. i cant be totally sure cause im always in an aggitated state as of late, so ill know within a week more of experiments. i tested high in copper and low in zinc, so ive been prescribed b6, vit c and zinc. its frustrating not being able to gobble up suppliments which a  believe will give me benefits.

 

 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on this site.  Before creating a new topic please do a search.  You can either use the site search function or use a search engine and add survivingantidepressants.org to the search term.

 

Your post has been moved to the existing topic:  ketamine-treatment